More from NBC

Deadly MERS Virus Arrives in US

The U.S. has reported its first case of the MERS virus in Indiana. The deadly respiratory virus was first discovered two years ago in Saudi Arabia.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL HIGH COMPARED TO OTHER ECONOMIC RECOVERIES. LESTER?
>> TOM, THANKS.
>>> THE FIRST CASE OF A DEADLY AND MYSTERIOUS VIRUS THAT UNTIL NOW HAD CONFINED ITSELF TO THE MIDDLE EAST HAS TURNED UP IN THE U.S. IN INDIANA. IT'S A RESPIRATORY VIRUS MORE LETHAL THAN THE FLU CALLED MERS. IT WAS FIRST DISCOVERED TWO YEARS AGO IN SAUDI ARABIA. TODAY THE CDC SAID IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT REACHED THIS COUNTRY. OUR CHIEF MEDICAL EDITOR DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN HAS OUR REPORT.
>> Reporter: HEALTH CARE OFFICIALS ARE WORKING TO TRACK DOWN PEOPLE WHO RECENTLY TRAVELED THE SAME ROUTE A MAN THE CDC SAYS HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE DEADLY MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME VIRUS. ON APRIL 24th, THE HEALTH CARE WORKER TRAVELED FROM RIYADH, THE LARGEST CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA TO LONDON'S HEATHROW AIRPORT. FROM THERE IT WAS ONTO O'HARE IN CHICAGO. FROM CHICAGO, THE MAN TOOK A BUS TO INDIANA. AND ON APRIL 27th HE FELT ILL WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH, COUGHING, AND FEVER. ON APRIL 28th THE PATIENT WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN MUNSTER, INDIANA. IT WAS THERE HE WAS DIAGNOSED, ISOLATED, AND TODAY REMAINS IN GOOD CONDITION. ALTHOUGH A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS VIRUS, EXPERTS SAY THE GENERAL POPULATION IS REALLY NOT AT RISK.
>> THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CLEAR CASE OF PERSON-TO-PERSON TRANSMISSION OUTSIDE OF THE HEALTH CARE SETTING YET. SO I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.
>> Reporter: HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THE VIRUS ORIGINATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST, MAYBE IN CAMELS. IT THEN INFECTED HUMAN BEINGS AND HAS SPREAD TO SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. IT'S ESTIMATED TO HAVE INFECTED MORE THAN 370 PEOPLE IN SAUDI ARABIA ALONE. RESULTING IN MORE THAN 100 DEATHS. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC TREATMENT, CURE, OR VACCINATION FOR THIS EMERGING ILLNESS. THIS VIRUS IS NOT AS CONTAGIOUS